The field of the invention is psychological devices for enhancing the making of decisions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,256 teaches an object-directed emotional resolution apparatus which uses speech and electronics technology coupled with psychological techniques to further emotional development and stress reduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,428 teaches an interactive, articulated talking toy which talks and moves certain of its body parts under microprocessor control on the basis of the program material selected from a tape storage device incorporated in the body of the toy. The material selected is determined by a human's response to questions asked by the toy. The material stored on tape contains both audio and data. The processor chooses a particular one of a possible three audio tracks stored on tape on the basis of the specific response or nonresponse made by a human.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,763 teaches a psychological game device having a small box-like housing which has cabinet with a panel facing a player called the SPEAKER and another panel facing a player called the LISTENER. The SPEAKER panel mounts two push buttons labeled TRUTH and ALMOST TRUTH. The LISTENER panel mounts two push buttons labeled BELIEVE and ALMOST BELIEVE. The bottom of the cabinet includes a recessed panel with scoring indicators labeled CREDIBLE consisting of three light emitting diodes (LEDs) and FORGET-IT consisting of three LEDs. A reset button is also provided. The top surface of the cabinet contains an on/off switch, a START push-button, and an LED indicator. A timer circuit, started by the START button, illuminates the indicator LED for either a preselected time period or a sequence of random duration time periods. Logic circuits contained within the cabinet are controlled by the SPEAKER and LISTENER push buttons to provide a basic game sequence of three periods. The device may be used with a wide variety of games limited only by the imagination of the players.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,343 teaches a method of conditioning a person's unconscious mind in order to effect desired change in the person's behavior which does not require the services of a trained therapist. The program as viewed by the person's unconscious mind acts to condition the person's thought patterns in a manner which alters that person's behavior in a positive way.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,494 teaches a psychotherapy 9 device which includes a body member, a pair of arms, legs, and a head connected to the body member. The pyschotherapy device is in the general configuration of a child-like human figure. The head includes a pair of expressionless eyes and nose which are permanently affixed to the face and means are connected to the face adjacent to and generally below each of the permanent eyes for releasably receiving indicia of tears. During pyschotherapy of a child patient, the patient may be invited to apply or remove tears to reflect a current or past mental state.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,126 teaches a new method of learning by use of a machine which interacts with the user to guide the user through a programmed series of questions. The system is based on finding trouble spots in the users logic or feelings by observing the users skin response to questions. The computer will ask the user a question. The computer selects the next question based on his answer to the previous question and guides the use through a
U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,934 teaches a system and method for measuring the emotional response of a subject to a chosen focus in order to reliably produce objective data representing that emotional response. The subject is put in contact with the chosen focus and the emotional response of that subject to the chosen focus is determined in order to provide initial response emotions and the intensities of these emotions. Utilizing the initial response emotion intensities and the baseline emotion intensities, clarified emotion intensities are determined for use in a variety of decision making applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,038 teaches a method which includes selecting the particular ideal behavior to be achieved, defining the steps to be taken to effectuate the modification, assigning a mnemonic device for each step to promote mental identification of the step and providing a visual image of a role model for behavioral emulation. The role model acts out the defined steps.